COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONLately it occurs to us that if, back in 1989, you planned on starting a brewery in the back of your carpentry shop, you’d have been wise to seek out someone like Harold "Trip" Hogue. A collector of ancient Volvos, Trip was well-qualified for the make-do engineering required to coax recalcitrant equipment out of retirement and onto making the first Boulevard beers.

The Tripel style originated in the Trappist brewery of Westmalle Abbey in pre-war Antwerp province. Its numeric moniker results from the old Belgian practice of naming beers based on the amount of malt used in the brew. A "Simple" was the lightest-bodied brew. Doubling the malt bill resulted in a "Dubbel", while a "Tripel" contained three times the amount of malt (and, as a result, three times the amount of alcohol.) True to style, our Long Strange Tripel is a golden ale with estery aromas, a dense, creamy head and a sweet finish.

Good and proper example of the style but not overly unique. Belgian yeast aroma. Pear and champagne color with moderate head. Medium weighted palate with I thought had a higher level of carbonation. Made me feel like I needed to belch. Nice flavors with a touch of spiciness at the end, which might have been yeast in the glass. Somewhat dry finish. Good effort and alcohol was covered well.

From a 12 oz bottle got in a trade. Pours a hazy, murky straw color. Not great looking. Lots of thick white head which stuck around a long time. Decent Belgian yeast aroma but nothing special. Mouthfeel is actually kinda light for this abv beer. Taste is dry, Belgian yeast, pear and funk. Meh, not special. Tank 7 is similar but somehow waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better. Not going to get this one again.

Poured at home in a large snifter. Golden orange with a serious thick and lasting head. Aroma is sweet candy, slight bubblegum, cereal, biscuit, and light floral notes. Taste is at first some sweet candies and flowers, then transitions into more dry bitterness and cereal. Solid carb, well balanced, big flavors.

Best by date of 08.09.13.
Poured from a 12 oz into a tumbler on 12.24.13.
A: Orange with a quickly receding head.
S: Orange, citrus. Very sweet and strong smelling.
T: Alcohol, orange, spicy.
M: Crisp.
O: It does create quite a bit of alcohol burn in the nose and throat. It doesn’t seem very well balanced. It is a slightly old bottle though, but it should have held up at 9.2% ABV. This was a drain pour.

Bottle. Pours golden, with a big creamy head. Aroma is nice fruity Belgian yeast, with oak, kandi and brown sugar. creamy body, with soft to medium carbonation. Flavour is Belgian yeast and kandi, as well as oak and some smoky notes. Sweet, fruity wood in the finish.

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